West Bromwich Albion vs. Everton – EPL, March 4, 2021

Two teams with vastly different goals for the rest of the season meet at The Hawthorns on Thursday, as West Brom entertains Everton in the Premier League.

Both come into this fixture off the back of a narrow victory at the weekend and will be keen to carry on winning to make life easier at opposing ends of the league table.

BetOnline makes Everton the odds on favorite to come away from the Black Country with three more points – and there is very little to say to counter that decision. West Brom remains in deep trouble in the relegation places and does not seem like the kind of side that is able to win more than one game in a row.

Sam Allardyce will be pretty happy with the way results have gone in the last few weeks but will know that his side was afforded a huge slice of luck at the weekend when it beat Brighton 1-0 at home. The Seagulls missed two penalties and had a goal chalked off in very controversial circumstances. West Brom did actually play relatively well, but the three points should be cherished.

That result did make it three games without defeat for the Baggies, though. The fact that the last two of those fixtures came against sides that could be considered as relegation rivals is even better for West Brom. It still looks like an uphill battle to escape the drop, though.

A win for Everton on Thursday would highlight the trouble West Brom is in even further. The Toffees beat Southampton by a single goal on Monday and are now just two points behind West Ham in fourth. Carlo Ancelotti’s side also has the luxury of a game in hand over every club above it in the table.

There was further good news for Everton in that last game, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin returned from an injury that had kept him out of the side for the last two months. His towering presence played a part in the goal, and he should be able to really test the West Brom defenders on Thursday.

West Brom fans may be thinking that there will be another great escape for the club this season – and look to the likes of Brighton and Newcastle as teams that could help them in that quest. But there is still a lot of work to be done. Brighton helped the Baggies at the weekend, but it is unlikely that Everton will be quite as accommodating.